2006 State of the Sox

May 6: White Sox 9, Royals 2

This is the kind of game we expect from the Sox against the Royals – not necessarily a seven-run victory each time, but outplaying Kansas City in every facet of the game.  The Sox jumped on Royals starter Runelvys Hernandez (who ruined the only Opening Day game I've attended) and pounded him and the rest of the Royals en route to a resounding 9-2 victory.  

Tadahito Iguchi keyed the Sox offense with four hits, including driving in Scott Podsednik in the first inning for a quick 1-0 lead. The Emperor singled the opposite way one pitch after attempting a sacrifice bunt, which is the second time this season he’s benefited from missing a bunt attempt.  He’s gotta keep swinging the bat.  

Iguchi would also get on base right before Jim Thome’s 13th homer of the year that blew the game open.  Also on base?  Brian Anderson, who had himself a great day with the bat after a three-game layoff.  Anderson hit a solo shot in the third inning, and added a single later.  He was a nifty Mike Wood play away from a third hit on the evening as well.

A.J. Pierzynski had a bases-loaded single, which will raise the .208 (5-for-24) average he had with runners in scoring position entering the game.  Ross Gload had a sac fly, Joe Crede drew a walk, and even Juan Uribe had an encouraging 0-for-4 day, hitting three balls hard.  He did strike out twice, but his first was thanks to a fastball eight inches off the plate.  

Javier Vazquez didn’t need much help, once again holding the Royals down.  He took a perfect game into the sixth, but Angel Berroa ended his bid with a double over a flailing Podsednik in left.  Usually you need one or two above-average plays to keep a no-hitter alive (e.g., Lance Johnson’s diving catch during Wilson Alvarez’s no-no), and Pods missed one there.  The no-hit bid could've ended in a worse way, like a check-swing single for instance.

Berroa would score two batters later on a 3-6-3 GIDP by Paul Bako.  I’ll say it again: Bako may be the worst major-leaguer to get over 100 at-bats this year.  

After being effective yet inefficient with his pitches during his other quality outings, Vazquez didn’t truly start laboring until the eighth inning tonight, when he threw 25 pitches for a total of 116 on the night.  Angel Berroa and Esteban German used up most of them with back-to-back nine pitch at-bats; Berroa popped up, but German followed up with another RBI single.  Cotts relieved Vazquez to finish the eighth, and Brandon McCarthy had a perfectly uneventful inning in the ninth to close it out.

German did give the run back in the bottom of the eighth when he couldn’t close the mitt on a two-out line shot by Konerko hit right at him.  Hey, at least it didn’t hit him in the mouth again.

Record: 21-9 | Box score | Play-by-play